


Sunrise

by Catsarecutebutaliens



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: (both of those are only mentioned/implied), Catra (She-Ra) Needs a Hug, Character Study, Childhood Trauma, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Fluff, Fluff without Plot, Forehead Kisses, Healing, Literal Sleeping Together, Mental Health Issues, Post-Canon, Recovery, Sleepy Cuddles, she gets one, that is basically the whole fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:27:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24204361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catsarecutebutaliens/pseuds/Catsarecutebutaliens
Summary: A new morning arrives, and Catra thinks about her future with Adora.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 420





	Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a little something I wrote after binge-watching the fifth season. Writer's block is kicking my ass right now, but I do have more of this planned.
> 
> Edit: It's about a week later, and since I had some time on my hands, I decided to go over this again. I wrote the original fic at like 11 pm on my phone, so I edited out some typos and added around 400 words. I hope you still like this longer version!

It felt almost like nothing had changed at all when Adora clung to her like this, arms wrapped around her torso and head pressed against the crook of her neck. She was a warm, comforting weight pressing her into the blankets, and Catra did her best not to move, even with hot sparks of anxiety jumping through her stomach.

It had been another long night of no sleep, and the heaviness of her eyes fought with vivid memories at the forefront of her mind. Even though Catra would never admit it out loud, she was scared of falling asleep, of seeing all the faces that had haunted her for the last years.

She knew she had made mistakes, enough to fill two lifetimes. Instead of happy, melancholic memories of a carefree childhood, Catra looked back and saw nothing but pain and abuse, clinging to Adora's face like a lifeline from the beginning. Catra had foreign scars embedded into her skin, but they did not excuse her actions; apologizing was just the start of a longspun journey.

She was supposed to be better, everyone expected her to be okay now, but none of this came easy to her. Every day was a fight as she held back the spiteful anger at the tip of her tongue and tried to open up to those around her a fraction more. Adora and her friends seemed to be able to bounce back so quickly, the months of war and destruction nearly forgotten, while Catra still flinched at every raised hand and couldn't sleep without nightmares.

Memories blurred into each other and created new fears, new faces that sometimes even haunted her into her waking hours. It hurt, horribly so, to listen to the voices in her head, even with Adora's arms wrapped securely around her. Her presence grounded her and pulled her back to the reality she has been granted: her second chance.

Progress wasn't easy, she knew that, but the constant fight was tiring her out, and recovery seemed to be endlessly far away. She didn't have a concept of "okay" anymore, and the more she thought about it, the clearer it became that it was something she needed to create for herself. However, without any experience of what okay actually meant, she felt trapped. Everything was so uncertain, there was no constant in her life anymore, no purpose she could fulfill.

Well, almost no constant.

Adora, heavy and asleep against her chest, stayed by her side as she had always done.

Her words still echoed in her mind; the "I love you" lingered on her tongue and reminded her of what she had won, that this wasn't their old life anymore. They were different now, better, and had gained so much more than they could have dreamed of. Catra knew this wouldn't prevent her from forgetting every once in a while, though.

One hand gently ran through Adora's open hair and the strands fell through her fingers like silk. It felt unreal, being able to touch her like this. She had spent years falling asleep to the sound of her breath, longing to reach out and feel the up and down of her chest, but it had never seemed possible. They both needed more time to get used to this, she thought, and pressed her other hand against the small of her back, holding her in place even when she knew Adora was not going to move.

The sun was just starting to come up from behind the horizon again, coloring the indigo sky purple and gold. Some of the sunbeams reflected in the white walls and open windows, splattering specks of light around the room. A warm breeze fluttered through the curtains, and the first birds began to sing. Their new morning was rousing.

Brightmoon was always full of soft, pastel colors, not only at sunrise, and lacked the sharp angels of the Fright Zone. It scared her sometimes, how different everything was, how unfamiliar.

Open spaces frightened her, and people she didn't recognize looked at her with so much hatred and disgust, it was impossible to leave their room on some days. Catra remembered the face of a young woman, barely older than her, as she stared at her with glassy eyes and only whispered one sentence over and over again until Adora pulled her away:  _ You killed my mom. _

Adora, sweet and patient, always stayed with her, distracting her and keeping her grounded in the moment. On some days, all they did was hold each other while the past caught up with them. A lot of unsaid confessions still hung in the air between them, but they were slowly unraveling all of the pain they had caused. It did not feel okay just yet, and Catra knew she deserved to feel this way.

Nothing about this, the comfort, the safety, was meant for her, but she was still here, still alive and breathing, with her person wrapped safely in her arms. 

Catra pressed a kiss against Adora's forehead, lips barely brushing the skin. It was the only thing she allowed herself, the only time she willingly reached out. A part of her still struggled with accepting that this was okay, that Adora  _ wanted _ her just as badly as Catra wanted her.

Her fingertips absentmindedly rubbed over the healing scars on Adora's back, the wounds she had caused in her weakness. Adora stirred slightly and a huff of warm breath tickled Catra's neck, making her let out an involuntary giggle.

The warm morning sun slowly melted the dark thoughts from her mind, and when Adora eventually rose from her sleep, gently kissing Catra under a golden sky, the smile on Catra's face was a fraction less forced than the day before.

Maybe she wasn't okay just yet, and maybe she wouldn't be for some time, but she was no longer fighting her ghosts on her own, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
